The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

In part two of “Are you smarter than Meteorologist Ashley Smith?” we ask Ottumwa Public Information Officer Tom Rodgers which clouds are higher: cirrus or stratus.

“I’d say cirrus.  The stratus I believe are kinda the flat lined ones, you know, when we have a gray day and could be as low as even the ground for fog but I think the cirrus ones are up higher,” said Rodgers.

Clouds are classified by their height in the atmosphere.

Meteorologists often times talk about thin wispy clouds called cirrus clouds that are indeed higher than the stratus clouds.  The stratus are pretty much as low as low can go.  Even fog would be classified as stratus cloud.  Cumulus clouds are the moisture and rain clouds.  Cumulonimbus are thunderstorm clouds and these are what we watch for thunderstorm and even tornadic development.  The answer is cirrus is higher than stratus.